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Sporting Kansas City sign former US U-20 midfielder Benji Joya

Sporting Kansas City have signed 22-year-old midfielder Benji Joya on a free transfer, the club announced Thursday. The 5-foot-8, 145-pound San Jose, California, native comes to SKC following a loan stint with Club Necaxa of the Mexican second division.

Joya, a former US youth international, captained the US Under-20 side to a second place finish in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in 2013 and played in the U-20 World Cup that year in Turkey.

In 2011, he signed with Liga MX club Santos Laguna as an 18-year-old, and he rose through the club's youth ranks to make his senior team debut in 2012.

Joya also has prior MLS experience on loan with the Chicago Fire, for whom he made 12 appearances (nine starts) and scored a goal in the first minute of his MLS debut in 2014. He was loaned to Necaxa in 2015.

He will be added to the Sporting KC roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate.